Automatic pill dispensers: Benefits, cost and availability

Jun 15, 2012, 6 a.m.

Taking medications in proper quantity and at prescribed times is not only important, but critical to patient well-being. A problem can arise when the patient or caregiver has a detailed pill-taking schedule but also has memory or psychological problems that distract them from the medical pill plan. This problem is easily solved, beginning with a quick online search to locate where to buy an automatic pill dispenser.

Many different types of automatic pill dispensers are now available to solve this scheduling dilemma. Some people have used simple forms of pill reminders in their past, like a small pill holder with compartments labeled for each day of the week. Being older, disabled, or having a large amount of medications to remember can become a problem too great for simple systems. It becomes too easy to miss doses or skip them, especially if memory is a problem for the patient. A busy caregiver can also become overwhelmed with caring for their patient and accidentally lose track of the pill schedule.

Most units feature alarms and/or a system of warning lights when the timer set-up determines that a pill section has not been opened. This can be useful for many older patients, unless they have severe incapacity. The lights in combination with an audio alarm can alert the patient or caretaker that it is time to take medications. Each compartment holds the selected pills and amount of pills to be taken. With some automatic pill dispensers, the correct group of pills is dispensed into a small cup.

New automatic pill dispensers range in price from under $20 to as much as $850 for deluxe models that offer computerized monitoring and caregiver notification if pills are not taken as scheduled. All models feature individual compartments to hold pills, and many are capable of locking, to prevent overdosing or to keep children away from medications. Some units have an audio alarm, actually telling the patient it is time to take medication. These convenient medical accessories can be purchased online or at local pharmacies. Good websites to start with include Amazon and Nextag to find comparison pricing and sales outlets.

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